Episode 5 Review

Septmeber 24, 2014

This episode is where everything falls apart again for Alina. There’s this ongoing theme of history repeating itself. This episode picks up where the previous left off with Dane sitting at the kitchen table brooding over Alina’s pictures. A huge fight ensues, with Dane proving himself as an asshole. He says all these hurtful things, based on a minute’s worth of knowledge on Alina’s past. It’s neat to see Dane’s range start to emerge, because up until this point Dane has been the sweet and lovely boyfriend. Now it’s clear that there’s a darkness in him. Despite how he has a rather typically sexist reaction to Alina’s pictures, this makes his character feel more real. There’s a lot of mystery and things left unsaid on what exactly Alina’s pictures are like, and how the pictures came to happen. But isn’t that the point? That everyone who thinks they know about Alina’s life are the ones telling the story? Alina doesn’t get to tell her story, and because it’s second-hand stories the truth gets distorted. The rest of the episode has Alina’s storyline going downhill. Each scene is coloured and lit differently, giving each person that Alina interacts with a specific tone. It’s aesthetically pleasing, and this is moreso effective with Alina’s scene with Michael. Michael’s motives still feel a little confusing, and it’s still clear that he’s manipulating both Alina and Dane. This episode really covered a lot in terms of plot, and gave us a chance to see more of Dane’s character. The cinematography had some strength here, and we even get a flicker back to the end of our story. In Episode 1, The Last Fall of Ashes has an opening sequence where Dane and Michael have a stand off. We don’t know how it ends, and we’ll probably find out in the next episode. It’s still a little disappointing to see that Alina hasn’t been able to tell her side of the story. Her character is repeatedly victimized throughout the show, and the male characters Dane and Michael always want to make it about them. Dane yells at Alina as if he had the right to the information about her past, and Michael claims he has the right to give Alina her happiness. In both instances they’re taking agency away from Alina. I’ll be interested and excited to see how Alina’s story ends, and whether she finds a way to take control of it.